John Diefenbaker

John Diefenbaker (18 September 1895-16 August 1979) was Prime Minister of Canada from 21 July 1957 to 22 April 1963, succeeding Louis St. Laurent and preceding Lester Pearson. He served as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada.

Biography
John Diefenbaker was born in Neustadt, Ontario, Canada on 18 September 1895, and he grew up in the Northwest Territories and in Saskatchewan, where he completed a law degree after serving in World War I. He was admitted to the Saskatchewan bar in 1919, and he opened a pratcice in Prince Albert in 1924. He had become a distinguished lawyer by 1929, when he was appointed a King's Counsel, and he became the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada's Saskatchewan branch. In 1940, he was elected to the House of Commons, where he gained a reputation for his parliamentary skills. He became leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 1956, which he led to a surprise victory in 1957, later confirmed by a landslide election victory in 1958. He introduced the franchise to the native peoples, and legislated a Canadian Bill of Rights. He also sought to develop the northern areas of Canada. Diefenbacker was instrumental in forcing South Africa's withdrawal from the Commonwealth in 1961; he was a strong believer in international organizations such the United Nations. Following the 1962 elections, he led a minority government, owing to uneasiness about the economy and his opposition to the deployment of US nuclear weapons on US soil. Despite a formidable personal performance he narrowly lost the 1963 elections, and as leader of the opposition became a fierce and celebrated critic of Lester Pearson's Liberal Party of Canada government. He was replaced as party leader in 1967, but he remained in Parliament until his death in 1979.